


Distraction

by Chie (Chierafied)



Series: Fandom Events JL [11]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Amusement Parks, Canon Compliant, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Ferris Wheels, First Kiss, Fluff, One Shot, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 03:32:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16846291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chierafied/pseuds/Chie
Summary: Lily had wanted to have a nice, relaxing, James Potter-free summer. But here he was and now she had three purebloods to show around a Muggle amusement park.





	Distraction

**Author's Note:**

> Jilychallenge July 2017  
>  **Prompt:** summer was supposed to be fUN and rELAXING and instead I’m stuck at the top of this ferris wheel with yOU of all bloody people

Sirius had been the one who came up with the idea. No surprise there. But Then Marlene had heard about the plan and had wanted to tag along.

That had been all fine with Lily; she’d been looking forward to the trip. It would be so much fun, showing her two pureblood friends around a Muggle amusement park and Lily had spent  _hours_  planning and thinking of things they should do and see together.

But all those plans crashed and burned when the actual day arrived – and Lily found that their little group had gained an extra member.

Lily’s green eyes were narrowed as she tried to swallow her temper.

James Potter, on the other hand, was offering her a sheepish grin and mussing up his stupid hair.

“You didn’t think to warn me,” she said with feigned calm as she slanted Marlene a look.

“We didn’t want to risk you cancelling the whole thing on us.” Sirius shrugged. He swung his arm around Lily’s shoulders, tucked her against his side. “Come on, Lily. James’ll behave himself.”

Lily had wanted to have a nice, relaxing, James Potter-free summer. But here he was, the thorn in her side.

And now she had three purebloods to show around a Muggle amusement park.

…It might actually still be a fun day if she got over herself.

Lily’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Yeah, yeah.” She sighed. “He can come too.”

“Wohoo!”

“Let’s get going!”

* * *

 

They were standing in a queue, waiting to get on their very first ride. Sirius, Marlene and James were chatting excitedly amongst one another, their heads swivelling as they looked around the park, trying to see everything.

A smile tugged at Lily’s lips. Her friends were so eager. Like kids in a sweets shop.

Was that what she had looked like when she’d first visited Honeydukes? All wide-eyed wonder?

And didn’t James Potter just look  _weird_? Lily’d never seen him in Muggle clothes before, apart from a few brief glimpses on the train platform when boarding Hogwarts Express. But she was paying attention now.

Hard not to, really, when that t-shirt left his arms bare so she could see his sun-kissed skin over all that muscle and –

Shit.

This was why she had wanted a summer break from James Potter, Lily thought sourly to herself. She tore her gaze off him and stared at her feet as she tried to swallow her anger. Tried to reel those very disturbing thoughts back under lock and key.

Even so, Lily had to admit that James Potter wasn’t really the problem.  _She_  was.

Because the more she saw him, the harder it became to feign ignorance about the mad flutters erupting in the pit of her stomach every time they were as much as in the same room together.

James Potter chose that moment to turn his head, lock his eyes with hers and flash her a bright grin – one of pure joy.

Lily found herself grinning back at him, then realised what she was doing and looked away, swallowing a groan.

Lying to yourself was so much easier when the truth wasn’t shoved at your face.

It’s just a day, Lily told herself, her hands balling into a fist tight enough for her fingernails to dig into her palms.

She could get through one day.

* * *

 

And she really thought she would.

Despite Lily’s trepidations, the day turned out to be just as fun as she had expected it to be before she knew James Potter was tagging along.

With everything going on in the wizarding world, it was hard to find such simple moments of child-like excitement – and today she’d witnessed several of them.

Marlene had eaten too much candy floss. Sirius had wanted to go on ALL the rides, even the silly and tame ones meant for children. James had won a stuffed toy from one of the games and said he’d bring it home to his mum.

And though that last one had made Lily weak in her knees, she’d somehow managed not to let on about the turmoil brewing inside her.

But she had never accounted for this scenario – riding the Ferris wheel alone with James Potter.

They’d saved it for the last and Lily had tried her best to convince her friends she’d be fine skipping this one out and waiting for them down on the ground, but her excuses had all fallen on deaf ears.

So Lily got on – after all, she was a brave Gryffindor.

Which was why she found herself sitting across from James in a small carriage that was rising higher and higher at an agonising pace.

There were no straps or buckles on this ride, no handle to hold on to. This was supposed to be one of the  _easy_  rides, designed primarily to show the scenery down below.

Lily was sure it was very nice scenery. Except for that below part.

The edges of the carriage were shoulder high, above them was glass to protect them from the wind, and then the “roof” on the top, attached to the wheel. 

But the carriage wasn’t fully enclosed. There was some space between the glass and the edge of the carriage.

That was nice, because Lily had that edge in a white-knuckled grip as they neared the top, inch by a slow inch.

She chanced a glance at James, hoping he was too taken in by the scenery to notice the state she was in, but no such luck: James was staring at her, his hazel eyes full of honest, open curiosity.

Lily swore under her breath.

“All right, Evans?” he asked, one eyebrow arching.

Lily clenched her jaw. “Never better,” she snapped.

“We rode the rolly coasting –“

“Rollercoaster,” Lily cut in, briefly wondering if James was being a pureblood or butchering the name on purpose to mess with her.

“– and you were laughing,” James continued, as if she hadn’t interrupted him. “Having the time of your life. But you’re scared of  _this_?”

“I’m not comfortable with heights,” she hissed through her gritted teeth.

Realisation dawned on James’ face. “Oh, so that’s why.”

“That’s why what?”

“I’ve noticed Muggleborns sometimes have issues with flying, like they don’t trust the broom to carry them so I figured…”

“Nah.” Lily shook her head. “It’s all that open air beneath the broom. At least for me.”

“That’s a bummer.”

James looked genuinely disappointed and Lily understood; for someone who loved flying as much as James did, it must have seemed a real pity to be afraid to be on a broomstick. 

She could also tell he wasn’t feeling sorry for  _her_ , just sorry that she was missing out on something he thought was amazing.

And didn’t that just make Lily’s heart melt a little.

The wind picked up that precise moment – it teased her hair and made the small carriage swing.

It wasn’t a big movement, but it was more than enough for Lily. She swallowed a whimpered and pressed her body closer to the walls of the carriage.

“Lily.”

She looked up – when had she bowed her head anyway? – and met James’ gaze. Amusement and worry warred in his eyes.

“Come here.”

Oh, how she wanted to do exactly that… which was precisely why she  _shouldn’t_  and in any case –

The carriage rocked again, as it started climbing even higher.

Lily was moving before another conscious thought could form in her head; had already scooted across the carriage and plastered herself against James’ solid warmth before every single warning bell in her mind went off.

She braved a glance up at his face.

His crooked grin sent an electric jolt all the way to her toes.

“Better?”

God, even his  _eyes_  were smiling…

“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding a little too breathy.

Bad, the voice in her mind was screaming, this was  _very_   _bad_.

“Just hang in there. We’re almost at the top.”

The words were a soft murmur, his arm around her shoulders a secure weight.

All he offered was gentle comfort, Lily realised with a suddenness that rocked her whole world. She’d half expected him to tease the hell out of her but all this time he –  _James Potter_  – hadn’t cracked a single joke.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her thoughts ground to a halt.

Lily’s fingers twitched against the softness of his t-shirt. Her green eyes grew sharp. They traced that delicious jawline of his before travelling up to focus on his parted lips.

Why was she denying herself this again?

She’d had so many reasons to keep both her inconvenient feelings and her itching hands to herself and suddenly she couldn’t remember a single one.

She pressed closer, saw his eyes widen as she leaned in.

“What’re you –”

“Distraction,” she whispered, her lips so close they nearly brushed against his.

She felt him swallow, could almost taste his nervousness.

Then, she closed the remaining space between them.

Her hand clutched his shoulder as she pressed her lips against his in a hard, demanding kiss.

He sat there for a frozen second – and then responded with such toe-curling eagerness that Lily couldn’t help slipping her other hand up his neck so she could tangle her fingers in his hair.

They were almost back on the ground before either of them spoke.

It was Lily who broke the breathy silence, pulling back to study James’ flushed cheeks and dazed eyes.

“You tell anyone about this,” she said, her voice low and only an inch away from a hiss, “I will hex your arse to oblivion.”

James looked at her, the twinkle returning to his eye, his hand rubbing a slow circle on Lily’s back.

“What if I solemnly swear not to breathe a word of this?”

Lily bit her lip, considering her options.

She still didn’t think it was a good idea.

But she knew with equal certainty that now the lid was off, she couldn’t push her feelings back into the box she’d kept them locked up in.

Especially not if he kept caressing her like that…

Her mind made, she met his gaze.

“Then I might be persuaded to be distracted again.”


End file.
